05 FEB 2026 Oil exports from Venezuela have surged upwards since the end of the U.S. embargo and the capture of former dictator Nicolas Maduro. Under American management, oil cargoes rose to 800,000 bpd in January, up from about 500,000 bpd under U.S. Navy blockade in December. Vitol and Trafigura …
Read More »BEIJING AGREES TO HELP POLICE THE SALE OF CHINESE OUTBOARDS TO SMUGGLERS
05 FEB 2026 Unprecedented criticism over the growing numbers of illegal migrants crossing the English Channel using small boats has forced the UK Labor government to rethink strategy on how to deal with the menace, and one novel new solution centers on stopping the flow of engines and components. UK Prime …
Read More »TRUMP SAYS INDIA WILL BUY OIL FROM VENEZUELA, NOT IRAN
04 FEB 2026 U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said India will buy Venezuelan oil, as opposed to purchasing oil from Iran. “We’ve already made that deal, the concept of the deal,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled to his vacation home in Florida from Washington. Reuters reported on …
Read More »SOME BLACK SEA TANKERS ARE HUGGING THE TURKISH COAST FOR PROTECTION
03 FEB 2026 For Ukrainian maritime intelligence officers looking to do the Russians damage, the passage of shadow fleet tankers through the Black Sea to the crude loading terminals near Novorossiysk presents a target selection challenge, and a process where mistakes can be made. A review of AIS tracking data covering the …
Read More »FULLY-COMPLIANT FIRE SYSTEMS MAY FALL SHORT AGAINST MODERN RISKS
02 FEB 2026 Inspection reports across much of the commercial fleet paint a reassuring picture. Fire detection systems are operational, fixed firefighting systems are in good working order, equipment is serviced on time and instructions are correctly posted. On paper, vessels are doing what is required of them. The problem …
Read More »CONTAINERSHIP DEMOLITION HITS 20-YEAR LOW AS ORDERBOOK CONTINUES TO GROW
01 FEB 2026 The disposal of container ships during 2025 remained at record low levels as the industry sought to maintain capacity in part due to the continued diversion from the Red Sea. In a new report, Alphaliner highlights that demolitions are now at 20-year lows. “The healthy container shipping …
Read More »ENERGY TRANSITION STRATEGIES: ADVANCING EMERGING BATTERY TECHNOLOGIES
31 JAN 2026 Advancing battery technologies stand out as next-generation solutions to help reduce carbon emissions for marine and offshore applications. Yet, rapid expansion and implementation require technical oversight and validation through an objective classification process that reinforces safety above all. The ABS 2025 study, Emerging Battery Technologies in the …
Read More »SEAFARER ABANDONMENT IS IN CRISIS SAYS ITF, CALLING IT A DISGRACE
28 JAN 2026 Seafarer abandonment hit a record level in 2025, marking the sixth year in a row the number of vessels abandoned broke the record, and the fourth year in a row for seafarer abandonment. The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which plans to present that data to the …
Read More »FRANCE SEIZES SANCTIONED SHADOW TANKER IN MEDITERRANEAN
27 JAN 2026 The French Navy on Thursday, January 22, intercepted a sanctioned shadow tanker while it was sailing in the Mediterranean. The operation was carried out, French officials said, under United Nations regulations, and the vessel has been diverted to France for further inspection. The Navy released pictures of …
Read More »VENEZUELAN OIL HEADS BACK TO EUROPE AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REOPENS EXPORTS
26 JAN 2026 Europe is set to receive some of its first shipments of Venezuelan oil in nearly a year after traders rolled out offers worldwide to sell cargoes at the behest of the Trump administration. The ship Poliegos is on its way to pick up Venezuelan oil and deliver …
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